The state government, on Tuesday, said that criminal action could be initiated against citizens, who hold ration cards that are meant for poor people.

The state government, on Tuesday, said that criminal action could be initiated against citizens, who hold ration cards that are meant for poor people.

State’s food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh said the rationing authorities had undertaken a campaign to find out fake and ineligible ration cards. The government has also found out that many cardholders with high income have ration cards, which are meant for poor families to get subsidised foodgrains.

Under the campaign, the rationing authorities have also detected 12.75 lakh ineligible ration cards and cancelled the same, said the minister.

The government has, through newspaper advertisements, appealed to such cardholders to surrender the ration cards. “As many as 13,606 citizens have returned their cards to the authorities in response to the appeal,” said Deshmukh in a written reply to a question in the assembly.

Deshmukh said that cardholders, who hold such ration cards but do not submit it with rationing authorities, could face criminal cases under the Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2001.